Operational GRC: How to move from frameworks to functional compliance

In PwC’s 2025 Global Compliance Survey, 90% of Australian respondents say compliance has become more complex over the past three years, and they’re feeling the strain.

Cybersecurity now tops the list of technology compliance risks, closely followed by data protection and privacy. But while frameworks such as ISO 27001, NIST CSF, and the Essential Eight provide a solid foundation, most organisations are still grappling with the same issue: how to implement them effectively in practice.

Policy documents alone won’t cut it.

In this blog, we break down how to move from theoretical compliance to operational GRC, embedding controls into day-to-day business, making KPIs visible to executives, and turning audits from fire drills into formality.

Why frameworks alone don’t cut it

 Frameworks give you a solid foundation. But too often, they stay trapped in policy documents, spreadsheets, or compliance teams, disconnected from day-to-day business operations.

When governance, risk and compliance lives in a silo, organisations run into three common problems:

• Audit panic: Evidence is manual, scattered, and pulled together at the last minute.
• Inconsistent control execution: What’s written in policy doesn’t match what’s implemented on the ground.
• Weaker resilience: Risks are documented, but they’re not embedded into how teams actually make decisions.

The result is you meet the minimum but miss the mark on maturity.

Operationalising GRC means bringing those frameworks to life not just proving you have controls, but implementing them for success.

What does operational GRC look like?

True GRC maturity isn’t about how many controls you list, it’s about how well they function, and how visible they are across your business.

Here’s what operational GRC looks like in action:

• Risk-based controls tied to workflows

  Security, privacy, and compliance checkpoints are built into onboarding, procurement, and system change processes not retrofitted later.

• Dashboards show what’s real, not just what’s planned

  You can track control maturity, identify overdue actions, and see which areas are ready for audit (and which aren’t).

• Ownership is cross-functional

  GRC isn’t just IT or compliance, it’s shared by security, operations, legal, procurement, and business leaders, with clear escalation paths when things break.

• Controls are part of how data is handled and decisions are made

  From vendor assessments to access reviews, GRC becomes a routine input not a post-facto checklist.

This is how you move from framework to function. From checkbox to confidence.

Translating frameworks into action

Adopting a framework is a good first step but operationalising it means turning every control into a task someone owns and understands.

The key is to stop treating frameworks as a template. Instead, map each control to a business function, assign an accountable owner, and build it into operational rhythm.

Take the Essential Eight’s “Patch Applications” control as an example:

• For IT, it needs to be a scheduled activity with defined SLAs, frequency dictated by type of patch and environment that it gets applied to, using context.
• For the board, it becomes a tracked metric that reflects risk exposure and responsiveness.

This is where many GRC programs falter- trying to copy frameworks word-for-word without considering risk appetite, resource constraints, or business context.

Instead, tailor controls to how your organisation actually works. Start small with a phased rollout:

• Begin with a baseline (e.g. Essential Eight maturity level 1).
• Prove that controls are working in one area.
• Then scale across departments, systems, or geographies.

The goal isn’t to implement everything at once, it’s to build sustainable momentum and make compliance a function of how the business operates, not an afterthought.

Tooling to enable operational GRC

Compliance technology is helping companies move faster, navigate complexity and avoid hazards. But the benefit isn’t universal.

In fact, almost 40% of Australian organisations report gains in productivity, efficiency and cost savings from GRC tooling, but that also means 60% are missing out.

The opportunity? Reassess your tooling strategy and how well it connects to day-to-day control execution, not just framework alignment.

Whether you're a large enterprise or a scaling mid-market organisation, the right tooling should help you:

• Track control ownership and accountability
• Automate policy acceptance and annual sign-offs
• Trigger reviews, access re-certifications, and exception workflows
• Store audit-ready evidence, versioned, time-stamped, and accessible

For more mature environments, enterprise-grade platforms can help manage complex compliance needs, integrate with existing systems, and provide real-time dashboards. These solutions are commonly used to centralise workflows, automate reviews, and link risk to control performance.

For smaller teams or those starting out, lighter-weight options like SharePoint with version control or Excel-based templates can still offer structure especially when paired with disciplined processes and clear ownership. These may not provide automation, but they can support visibility and accountability if maintained well.

The tooling isn’t the end goal but without it, GRC remains reactive, manual, and audit-stressed. A well-configured platform turns compliance into a living process, not a scramble.

KPIs that make GRC visible

Governance, risk, and compliance efforts only gain traction when they’re measurable and meaningful, not buried in a spreadsheet or presented once a year at audit time.

To make GRC operational, you need metrics that speak to both control performance and business value. Start with:

• Policy acceptance rates - show uptake across departments and roles
• Open vs closed risks - track resolution velocity and heat maps
• Audit readiness % - how many controls have real-time evidence ready
• SLA breaches for control tasks - such as patching, access reviews, or onboarding exceptions

But metrics alone aren't enough. GRC KPIs must be visible to executives and boards, and tied to outcomes they care about, like risk reduction, improved resilience, or regulatory alignment.

When you shift the focus from compliance volume to risk-informed performance, GRC becomes a strategic signal, not just a checklist.

Common pitfalls when operationalising GRC

Moving from theory to practice isn’t always smooth. Many organisations get stuck in the “framework phase,” never fully activating their GRC capability.

Here are five common missteps:

1. 1. Lack of clear control ownership
2. If no one owns it, it won’t get done or reviewed
3.  
4. 2. Over-reliance on consultants
5. External guidance is advantageous and helps build the initial momentum, but without internal champions, momentum dies after the engagement ends
6.  
7. 3. Siloed implementation
8. GRC needs buy-in from operations, legal, IT, security, HR as well.
9.  
10. 4. Outdated controls and stale documentation
11. Post-incident reviews are often skipped, and lessons never get embedded back into controls.
12.  
13. 5. GRC becomes the bottleneck
14. Over-engineered approvals and rigid workflows slow the business instead of supporting it.

Avoiding these pitfalls is about building a living, adaptive GRC capability that aligns with your risk appetite and business model.

Continuous improvement in GRC

GRC isn’t “set and forget.” Operational GRC is only effective if it's treated as a continuous, evolving process.

That means regularly asking: Are our controls still effective? Are our people still aware? Is our tooling still fit for purpose?

Here’s how to embed that mindset into your rhythm:

• Run quarterly GRC reviews with executive sponsors: track progress, escalate blockers, and refresh priorities
• Use near misses or minor incidents as learning opportunities: adapt policies, controls, or training accordingly
• Refresh awareness campaigns regularly: run phishing simulations, re-educate on privacy obligations, and update guidance as the threat landscape changes
• Reassess your tooling every 12–18 months: as your business evolves, your compliance stack should too

Continuous improvement isn’t just about “doing more”, it’s about staying aligned to risk, reducing audit fatigue, and building resilience that lasts.

Where to start if you’re feeling stuck

If your GRC program feels like a mountain, or worse, a black box, you’re not alone. Many organisations struggle to move beyond frameworks into something functional.

Here’s how to break the inertia:

• Start with a lightweight internal review
  Identify where compliance is falling behind or controls lack evidence
• Pick a few “quick wins”
  These could be simple but high-impact actions like updating your onboarding policy, enabling MFA everywhere, or cleaning up privileged access
• Appoint a GRC owner with executive support
  Ownership is the difference between drift and delivery
• Get external help when needed
  A short engagement can help streamline your approach, tailor your controls, and bring structure without reinventing the wheel

The goal isn’t perfection, it’s momentum. Start small and scale with confidence.

Need help turning your GRC frameworks into operational reality?

Whether you're starting small or scaling fast, we help you benchmark where you stand, align controls to real risk, and build a roadmap that works without slowing the business down.

Speak to us about building a GRC implementation plan that works for your business size, maturity, and risk profile.